TheLastDays
06-14-2011, 21:01
Character thread here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?136202-Lassara-Shards-of-Neril-Characters-Backgrounds-and-Information&p=2053328258#post2053328258), Game thread here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?136239-Lassara-Shards-of-Neril-Story-Thread)
Lassara
Shards of Neril
The map:
https://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3383/lassara.jpg
The map is not drawn by me, but graciously provided for free by this website (http://www.fantasymapmaker.com/). I only removed or moved some towns and put in the nametags.
Status and Locations:
Thomas (with Gilford & Wizard): On sea route to Leon - Late Afternoon D3
Alain, Rufus (with Dietrich), Drax, Princess, Glungurd, Alaria: Docks of Leon - Late Afternoon D3
Guantano, Alyssa: Road south of Leon - Midday D3
Frijyk, Morangul: Woods, en route to the southern road - D3
Tawariell (with Raina): currently inactive
Glungurd: KIA
The history of Lassara:
Men have not always lived in the lands now known as Lassara. Centuries ago they have arrived on ships over the great sea, of where they originated nothing is known to this day, only that their lands lay far in the east and that to return there should never be desired.
They first landed on an island, and their Leader, Lord Cantus, called it Cantun, which later gave name to the surrounding Bay of Cantun. Two settlements they built and named them southern Cantun and northern Cantun, or, in their old language Nir Cantun and Tar Cantun.
https://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5711/howe080.jpg
The town of Tar Cantun
The days were happy in the first time on this new land and quickly they populated the island and, after first settling on a nearby island, founding the town of Ova they decided to send a scouting party to the mainland.
Under the leadership of Cantus’ son, the prince Leon, they set foot onto solid land near the mouth of a river and there they set up and outpost called Birun. The first thing they did was to follow the river to a Lake, which they named after their outpost, Lake Birun and then continued on at the shores of the lake. It is then that a letter from Leon arrived at the court of his father, now crowned as King of Cantun.
Dear Father,
We have set up a strong foothold and I gave it the name of my sister, which I love, Birun. Following the river we spotted when landing we reached a lake just a few days later and followed the shores northward and to the east, marching around the lake. It took us about a week to reach the westernmost point of the lake and we have not encountered a single soul until now.
[the letter contains many details and information on this land and is too long to be covered here so only what is relevant is copied into this historical document]
No man seems to live here, even though the land is rich and the animals are many. There is good soil for farming and we have found sources of clay and strong wood for our first settlement. Only yesterday have we encountered the first signs of civilization. A trail of smoke appeared to be emerging towards the sky from a position far to our west. We will follow this route now and you will hear from me again when we have met whomever is living there.
In love, your loyal son, Leon
The father received the news with joy. Not only had his son lived and prospered, he had also confirmed that the land was good and ready to be taken over, because the island of Cantun was getting smaller and smaller for the growing population of his kingdom. He was sure that Leon would be able to reason with those that were already living there. They didn’t seem to use much of the land and so they would surely allow Cantunese settlers to seek their fortune there. A few days later another letter arrived, but this time the parchment was stained by blood and seemed to be written hastily.
Father,
The indigenous population we have encountered is not as we are. They seem to be human but they are not. I cannot go into more detail as time is short but they are hostile and I fear we have made them aware of us being here. When we first entered their city we were met with hospitality but it was only to lure us in and so we readily shared with them where our kingdom lay and who we are. Their Lord, Darganta, seemed to be an honorable man but he isn’t, in fact he is a creature of darkness, but I didn’t understand this until later. Please forgive me if this causes the people of Cantun to fall into danger as it was my mistake but I will seek to correct it. Our scouting party was too small to fight them when we learned that they only tried to get more information from us before we would be killed and so we led them to believe there was more to learn and one night made our escape. They followed us and some of us lost their lives to give the others time to escape. I myself have been hurt badly but I will get through. We are making our way back to Birun now, to set up defenses there and defeat their small host before they can set over to Cantun. Look to the north and pray to the gods that we are strong. But be watchful.
Leon
The news shook the father and the whole court with grief and fear. They set up guards in Tar Cantun, looking northward. They could not see the lands north but on the sixth night there was a red glimmer in the far north and they had to assume that fire had reached their outpost. The king decided to wait if there would be any more signs from his son but the following night he had a dream, where his goddess of Light, Lassa, visited him and told him that time was short. He had a vision and saw many strange creatures prepare primitive ships and boats, behind them he saw what looked like a human settlement burnt down and he knew for sure what had happened. He asked the gods for help but Lassa explained that they could not directly intervene, as these creatures had their own gods and a war between the divine beings was nothing they wanted or at least it was not Lassa’s to decide it. All she could do was to enchant the king’s sword, Neril, with a spell that would help him to prevail against the magic that Darganta was wielding and to speak a blessing over their host that would put fear into the enemy they had to face.
King Cantus, although of old age now, immediately ordered the preparation for departure and two days later the Cantunese army was ready to sail but the king hesitated. He waited for another week and only his closest advisors knew for what reason he did this. When they finally set sail they were not on the water for long before meeting black ships, or rather boats that were on their way south. The king knew he had waited for the right amount of time because the one advantage the Cantunese had was the sea. They were experienced sailors and warriors on ships, while their enemies had never set their eyes onto the sea before. With very few losses they were able to sink all the dark vessels and many strange creatures were feeding the fish that day.
Encouraged by this they quickly set foot onto the mainland, near Birun, where they discovered the burnt remains of a small town and after mourning the loss of good men they continued in the direction they assumed the enemy to live. Every night Lassa returned to the king in his sleep to guide them and let them know the way and only four days later they reached the black citadel city that Leon had told his father about.
The next day they engaged the enemy but of the heroic deeds of the battles in these early days no accounts have survived or at least, none that we know of. We know that after a long and fierce battle the Cantunese force finally prevailed, only Darganta himself was still fighting, believing that no man could kill him he slew hundreds of soldiers until Cantus himself faced him in battle. It was a fierce duel but in the end Cantus’ sword Neril found an opening in the black armor and pierced the skin of the dark Lord who fell, under the magic spell of Lassa.
https://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8412/cc36t.jpg
The cavalry charging in, led by the king's friend and advisor Galan Undine
https://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6272/brom119.jpg
The swordfight of Cantus and Darganta
The rest of the dark forces had retreated and after the defeat of their Lord they surrendered to the host of Cantus. It was decided that they should be spared but not allowed to live there anymore. Their leader, the right hand of Darganta, Lord Vayne, suggested they would be sent to an alternate dimension, they called it “the void”, from where they originally had come, as, so they said, they were only able to reproduce and rebuild their people there. Thinking of Lassa’s words, Cantus did not want to upset their dark gods any more than necessary and agreed, using the sword of Darganta, the only tool that could open a gateway to the void, to send them back.
As they entered the real of the void though, Cantus realized that he had, like his son, been betrayed by these evil people and they tried to move a large host of their creatures back through the Gate, led by Vayne. He was the first to step through and in that moment Cantus realized their betrayal and attacked Vayne, wounding him deeply across his chest before being slain by Vayne himself who was struggling to keep the gate open. It was then that Birun, who had snuck onto one of the ships, disguised as one of the wizards who accompanied the army, stormed forward, tears of anger and grief in her eyes, after losing her brother and father to these enemies, weaving a spell that wrestled Darganta’s sword from Vayne and pushed him and his host back into the void.
https://img864.imageshack.us/img864/6402/fm08zzgeurgn.jpg
Birun closing the gate
The gate closed but at what price? Birun had exhausted herself and without the will to go on, she could not recover and so, arm in arm, both father and daughter died that day, saving their people, who were now without a leader. No one knew of the fate of Leon and so it had to be assumed that he died, defending the outpost of Birun.
In the aftermath of the battle it was decided that Galan Undine, Cantus’ closest and most trusted advisor, should become king, as the old king had no other heir to take the throne. Galan knew of everything that Cantus had known, so he honored Lassa for the help she had given them, against the council of the other gods. He decided that the kingdom of Cantun was no longer and there should be a new one, named Lassara with a capitol built right there, at the site of their most tragic hour, as a sign of the power and will to overcome, that was in all men. The island of Cantun was to be part of the realm, reigned by a nephew of Cantus who did not want to leave the islands but agreed to set the house of his uncle up as governors of Cantun, subject to the kingdom of Lassara which was to be reigned by the House of Undine for all time, should the gods so will.
https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5936/nasmith16.jpg
The capital, Lassara
https://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3549/nasmith18.jpg
A glimpse into the streets of Lassara
The sword Neril was deliberately broken and shards of it have been forged into seven weapons to disperse the vast divine power that was sealed within the blade. They were given to the greatest heroes of the realm, to be used as weapons to defend Lassara but six of them have since been lost and only one of them remains in the hands of the kings of Lassara. The sword of Darganta could not be destroyed, not by physical or magical means and so it was sealed in a chamber beneath the castle of Lassara’s capitol to never be used again. It is guarded by a special corps as it is rumored that the hosts of the void would still answer to the sword, should they be called.
In the following centuries the realm was strengthened and expanded. Soon the rebuilt town of Birun and the newly founded town of Leon were thriving and the kingdom expanded further. Right now, eight hundred and seventy years after the founding of Lassara, the realm reaches south to Epayl Nir, the spear point of the south, eastward to the peninsula of Avin and west unto the great western mountains, the Ayal Royad hyo. The southern peninsula was colonized along the shores as the southern desert, Mayandar nir, was almost impassable and so settlements were only built on the shore and on the islands of Quin and Ai. Later a group of settlers followed a river north of Quin and founded Yonal in the southern reaches of the western mountains. Beyond these lay Ayal Mayn hyo, the great western sands. Nomads live there and over the years past they sometimes have raided the countryside west of Leon, so the two watchtowers of Null and Varim were built, to safeguard the western borders of the kingdom. They have since been almost deserted as relatively stable peace with the nomads has been reached about two hundred years ago. They didn’t like Lassara nor did most Lassarans like them but goods from the kingdom were needed in the west and vice versa, so a lasting trade relationship has evolved between both people, replacing the wars of their early encounters. Still all trade goes through Null and Varim and the garrisons are ever watchful to what happens in the great sands. Tarania, the northern realm, is a hostile land, not because of civilizations living there but because of the harsh weather and dangerous animals. None of the two usually crosses the northern mountains, guarding the kingdom's northern borders, so the Lassarans are happy, not knowing much about these lands.
Through all this time the House of Undine has prevailed and a descendant of Galan was always ruling in Lassara. Until now… The old king, Ramin Undinde II has died in a hunting accident without leaving an heir of age, only his daughter was left behind but she was only six years old when her father left the realm of the living. The laws stated that she could rule from the day of her sixteenth birthday, until then, three consuls were to rule the kingdom as stewards. This day is today but the expected coronation of Queen Amalia Undine I was not going to happen the way everyone expected…
Lassara's Religions:
The Old Gods:
This is the belief in the old gods, the gods Cantus and his followers already believed in when they set foot onto Cantun. They do not know much about their history before their journey to these lands but they have remembered all about their gods. It is by far the most common religion in Lassara.
Pantheon of the Old Gods:
Astaron: He is the head god of the old Lassaran faith. The founder and father of the people they originate from and he is the mightiest among the Lassaran gods. The Lassarans do not believe that their gods are the only gods that exist, neither do they believe that their god, Astaron, has created the world or other gods. He married Lassa and convinced her siblings, Bylaeid and Cayhalla, to join him in protecting his people, the people that Cantus and his followers came from. Over the while more divine beings joined them or were born into their ranks, making up the whole pantheon of the old faith. Astaron himself has power over the winds and air, over the creatures of the heavens and over the minds of men. He is a mighty warrior, his most common avatar being in the form of a knight, carrying a lance and a longbow, riding a winged horse. Astaron is also the god of night and darkness. His center of worship lies, together with his wife Lassa, in the royal temple district of the capital but both are worshipped throghout the country.
Lassa: Though not the head of the Lassaran pantheon, Lassa is the most beloved godess of her people because she was the one to appear in Cantus' visions, revealing to him the way to defeat the army of the void and enchanting his blade Neril to accomplish this deed. She is a loyal wife to Astaron, ever supporting of her husband, only once has she acted against his council, when she aided Cantus in those fateful times. Lassa is the goddess of light, song and beauty. Of all the gods she is most prayed to because she is said to listen to the prayers of men more than the other gods. Her most common appearance among men is that of a fair lady, clothed in a shining, white robe, not bearing any weapons. In addition to the temple district of the capital there is a huge temple, solely dedicated to Lassa, in Tar Cantun.
Bylaeid: Lassa's older brother and, after her, the first to join Astaron. He is the Lassaran god of water and the sea and all marine creatures. It is said that the old people of which the Lassarans originate were great seafarers and Bylaeid was one of their most important and worshipped gods but in Lassara seafaring is not such an important part of life and thus the importance of Bylaeid is somewhat diminished. He usually appears as a tall, muscular man, clothed in rough leather, armed with a giant battle axe and he is rumoured to roam the seas on his mighty ship Vanrim. The center for worship of Bylaeid is Avin, as well as the islands of Quin and Ai.
Cayhalla: Cayhalla is the younger sister of Lassa, a wild and ferocious character. She is also playful and loves a good challenge, showing that when not immediately agreeing to join Astaron but letting him take a few tests to prove his power, one of these tests being the defeat of another divine being in battle, a suitor Cayhalla wanted to get rid of. She is the goddess of war, the hunt and all land based creatures, appearing as a woman in chainmail and a red cloak, bearing a spear and two sabres. Cayhalla is worshipped mainly in the southern parts of Lassara, with a great temple in Epayl Nir.
Sylka: Sylka is the wife of Bylaeid, married to him before they ever met Astaron and she joined him together with her husband. She is the Lassaran goddess of fertility and all growing things, bestowing her blessing onto the farming population of the country, being mostly worshipped in the rural and agricultural areas. A large temple in Leon is dedicated to her. She usually appears as a young woman, dressed in green garments and carrying a long, wooden staff.
Lot'al: The Lassaran god of magic, wisdom and study. Like his brother he is interested in the arcane but his temper is much more stable and he is more interested in the controlled use of arcane powers than in the destructive unleashment of raw energy his brother seems to be so fond of. He has married Cayhalla and thereby joined Astaron whom he has come to respect greatly and his temper has made him a perfect counterweight for his wife. He is worshipped mainly in the royal temple district of the capital but there is also a large temple, dedicated to him, in the city of Anaba. Usually he appears in colourful robes, as a rather old man, bearing a scepter.
Faarik: He has joined Astaron after his brother Lot'al was married to Cayhalla. Being a natural wizard and cunning deceiver he has become the god of witchcraft and trickery. His love for the Lassaran people is limited and these feelings are mutual. Only some sects worship Faarik and he has no large temple or cult areas. He appears as whatever he feels like, not having a common form, although lately, over the course of the last two- to three-hundred years, he hasn't appeared much at all.
These are the seven head gods of the Lassaran old faith. There are several lesser divine beings associated with Astaron's pantheon as well, some regional, some attached to certain aspects of life. Gods are immortal, which means that they do not age or die of sickness or anything else, they can, however, apparently be slain, because Astaron himself is said to have slain a divine suitor of Cayhalla as part of her tests. It is of course very difficult to slay a god and in fact this occurence during Cayhalla's trials for Astaron is the only known death of a god.
The Lassarans know very little about the time when Astaron first approached their people because an important element of the old faith is that knowledge of the time before Cantus set his foot onto the island now known as Cantun should not be pursued.
The Lassarans have no god for the underworld or the dead because they believe that all dead souls will be judged before Astaron and, if they are worthy, they will enter his realm where they will live eternally in joy and peace. Those that aren't worthy are not spoken of and most religious leaders assume that they simply cease to exist.
I know it's much but I really encourage everyone who wants to participate to read the history as it's going to be important background for our game.
How are we gonna do this? (Rules)
The World of Lassara
There is a ruling class, the king's House of Undine and the nobility. A big majority of people in the kingdom are in the upper or lower middle class. They are living in relative wealth although they aren't of noble birth. There is the lower classes as well, they aren't as numerous in most places but Lassara is no Utopia it has poor people, bandits, rogues and a list of other problems as well
The currency is simple, there are coins made of gold, silver and copper with decreasing value. You don't have to go into great detail and exaclty list how much gold your character has, but describing how poor/rich they are and if they have regular access to gold is a very good thing
The military of Lassara might not have to fight big battles or win great wars, as the country lives mostly in peace but even in a kingdom like Lassara there are bandits, pirates and other brigands to fight and the military also has the duty to man the garrisons of the western watchtowers and guard the mountain passes into Tarania. This is probably where most fighting happens, especially during the winter months, when freezing temperatures and lack of food drives hordes of hostile creatures into the south. Their history has also taught the Lassarans to remain vigilant and ready for anything, so their military is very well trained and equipped although a lack of real combat experience might still be a disadvantage in a full blown war, at least for part of the army. There are women serving in the army.
There are elven tribes that have been found recently in the southern woods, by the settlers of Yonal. They are peaceful and technically there has been an alliance established with the kingdom of Lassara but encounters between men and elves are rare.
Technologywise this world is at a similar stage as classical fantasy settings like LotR. You can be creative with armor and weapons. Magic can be a good substitute for technolocigal parts and again, be reasonable and know that this is about working things into the story, not "powergaming", which is not possible anyway, since items and equipment don't have "stats"
Characters
Everyone who wants to participate: simply state it in this thread. Then create a character and post it here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?136202-Lassara-Shards-of-Neril-Characters-Backgrounds-and-Information&p=2053328258#post2053328258).
Create a character for yourself. I will start the cahracter thread with a character of my own, so you can follow that example but you can even add more detail if you want to.
Once player character per person, you can create NPCs though, for example if you need them for your character arc or something else...
Your character can be of any race or creature imaginable, you can use creatures already known in the realm. There could be other civilized creatures inside the kingdom of Lassara that have only been discovered in those years that I didn't really go into in the backstory. Or you can have a character coming from a place outside the game map.
You can create any "class" you can imagine. We will try to keep it fair, so don't shun away from characters that seem weak if it fits what you wanna do, this is more about story than overpowering others.
I have the final say on characters, I might ask you to change things to keep 'em a bit balanced, please ask if anything is unclear
If you have any questions regarding character creation, please just contact me via PM. If you can't find a picture, AFTER TRYING ;) - you can ask me, I might find something you like
Playing
We will play by simply posting what our characters do, say, sometimes what they think, etc. You are completely free what you want to do but of course it would make sense to join in on the main story, otherwise I'd recommend just writing a book ;)
Posts in past tense and third person please
There is no posting order but be reasonable. If someone is in a conversation with another char and you are in the same group, it doesn't really make sense to post how the group packs up and leaves... Unless your character tells the two ingame to stop chatting and get going :P
It is allowed to "plan" certain things with other players via PM or other means, to post larger dialogues at once or things like that. Sometimes it makes sense but don't do it with everything. Surprise us
I have the final say on posts so if something just doesn't fit I may ask you to remove it. This may never happen and if it does I expect it to be very rare. If you want to do something that seems rather "stretching" you can always contact me beforehand
Battles
You can initiate or engage in a fight with NPCs anytime you want, depicting the battle any way you want, although sometimes you'll have to pay attention to what the others are doing. Also, try to be reasonable. Posting how your character kills an army of five thousand single handedly might make it hard to balance him and I might ask you to remove that post after you pot so much work into it, which is not favorable
Don't hurt or kill NPCs that are created by other players and have their own entry in the characters thread. Cannonfodder can be destroyed at will even if "created" by others.
PvP
You can engage another character in battle anytime you want, whenever that happens the game will switch to "turns" and all characters involved will post in a order I will set from battle to battle.
Every character involved will post three times depicting his moves and reactions, after that all involved characters will discuss in the OOC thread and try to reach a conclusion that they all can agree upon.
If no consensus can be found, I will decide who has the upper hand and how strong the advantage is
After that (no matter if the players agreed on who has the upper hand or if I have to decide it) I will do a biased random roll, to determine the winner, favoring the one in advatnage of course.
After that the results have to be worked into the story, it will be discussed beforehand if it is possible for a player character to be killed during that battle
This sounds more complicated than it is, let's get to the first PvP battle and you'll see ;)
All these rules are subject to change at any given time. If during the course of the game an issure comes up where you don't agree with the rules and it has support from the majority of players I have no problem tweaking them to what is wished.
After all, this is about having fun and creating a story together. I will work as a GM, steering the story a bit, which means of course I have a story in mind but it could be completely altered and changed by your actions and choices.
This is not completely finished, there is still a bunch of stuff I need to prepare before we can start, but I wanted to make it possible to sign up and create characters as it probably takes some time for you to create and think about your chars.
If anyone can't join right now, with this kind of games it's fairly easy to jon in later, so don't worry.
Again, if there are any questions, just ask, here or via PM. I won't bite ;)
Also, please be forgiving about language, as English is not my primary language and I am rather sick right now ^^
Lassara
Shards of Neril
The map:
https://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3383/lassara.jpg
The map is not drawn by me, but graciously provided for free by this website (http://www.fantasymapmaker.com/). I only removed or moved some towns and put in the nametags.
Status and Locations:
Thomas (with Gilford & Wizard): On sea route to Leon - Late Afternoon D3
Alain, Rufus (with Dietrich), Drax, Princess, Glungurd, Alaria: Docks of Leon - Late Afternoon D3
Guantano, Alyssa: Road south of Leon - Midday D3
Frijyk, Morangul: Woods, en route to the southern road - D3
Tawariell (with Raina): currently inactive
Glungurd: KIA
The history of Lassara:
Men have not always lived in the lands now known as Lassara. Centuries ago they have arrived on ships over the great sea, of where they originated nothing is known to this day, only that their lands lay far in the east and that to return there should never be desired.
They first landed on an island, and their Leader, Lord Cantus, called it Cantun, which later gave name to the surrounding Bay of Cantun. Two settlements they built and named them southern Cantun and northern Cantun, or, in their old language Nir Cantun and Tar Cantun.
https://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5711/howe080.jpg
The town of Tar Cantun
The days were happy in the first time on this new land and quickly they populated the island and, after first settling on a nearby island, founding the town of Ova they decided to send a scouting party to the mainland.
Under the leadership of Cantus’ son, the prince Leon, they set foot onto solid land near the mouth of a river and there they set up and outpost called Birun. The first thing they did was to follow the river to a Lake, which they named after their outpost, Lake Birun and then continued on at the shores of the lake. It is then that a letter from Leon arrived at the court of his father, now crowned as King of Cantun.
Dear Father,
We have set up a strong foothold and I gave it the name of my sister, which I love, Birun. Following the river we spotted when landing we reached a lake just a few days later and followed the shores northward and to the east, marching around the lake. It took us about a week to reach the westernmost point of the lake and we have not encountered a single soul until now.
[the letter contains many details and information on this land and is too long to be covered here so only what is relevant is copied into this historical document]
No man seems to live here, even though the land is rich and the animals are many. There is good soil for farming and we have found sources of clay and strong wood for our first settlement. Only yesterday have we encountered the first signs of civilization. A trail of smoke appeared to be emerging towards the sky from a position far to our west. We will follow this route now and you will hear from me again when we have met whomever is living there.
In love, your loyal son, Leon
The father received the news with joy. Not only had his son lived and prospered, he had also confirmed that the land was good and ready to be taken over, because the island of Cantun was getting smaller and smaller for the growing population of his kingdom. He was sure that Leon would be able to reason with those that were already living there. They didn’t seem to use much of the land and so they would surely allow Cantunese settlers to seek their fortune there. A few days later another letter arrived, but this time the parchment was stained by blood and seemed to be written hastily.
Father,
The indigenous population we have encountered is not as we are. They seem to be human but they are not. I cannot go into more detail as time is short but they are hostile and I fear we have made them aware of us being here. When we first entered their city we were met with hospitality but it was only to lure us in and so we readily shared with them where our kingdom lay and who we are. Their Lord, Darganta, seemed to be an honorable man but he isn’t, in fact he is a creature of darkness, but I didn’t understand this until later. Please forgive me if this causes the people of Cantun to fall into danger as it was my mistake but I will seek to correct it. Our scouting party was too small to fight them when we learned that they only tried to get more information from us before we would be killed and so we led them to believe there was more to learn and one night made our escape. They followed us and some of us lost their lives to give the others time to escape. I myself have been hurt badly but I will get through. We are making our way back to Birun now, to set up defenses there and defeat their small host before they can set over to Cantun. Look to the north and pray to the gods that we are strong. But be watchful.
Leon
The news shook the father and the whole court with grief and fear. They set up guards in Tar Cantun, looking northward. They could not see the lands north but on the sixth night there was a red glimmer in the far north and they had to assume that fire had reached their outpost. The king decided to wait if there would be any more signs from his son but the following night he had a dream, where his goddess of Light, Lassa, visited him and told him that time was short. He had a vision and saw many strange creatures prepare primitive ships and boats, behind them he saw what looked like a human settlement burnt down and he knew for sure what had happened. He asked the gods for help but Lassa explained that they could not directly intervene, as these creatures had their own gods and a war between the divine beings was nothing they wanted or at least it was not Lassa’s to decide it. All she could do was to enchant the king’s sword, Neril, with a spell that would help him to prevail against the magic that Darganta was wielding and to speak a blessing over their host that would put fear into the enemy they had to face.
King Cantus, although of old age now, immediately ordered the preparation for departure and two days later the Cantunese army was ready to sail but the king hesitated. He waited for another week and only his closest advisors knew for what reason he did this. When they finally set sail they were not on the water for long before meeting black ships, or rather boats that were on their way south. The king knew he had waited for the right amount of time because the one advantage the Cantunese had was the sea. They were experienced sailors and warriors on ships, while their enemies had never set their eyes onto the sea before. With very few losses they were able to sink all the dark vessels and many strange creatures were feeding the fish that day.
Encouraged by this they quickly set foot onto the mainland, near Birun, where they discovered the burnt remains of a small town and after mourning the loss of good men they continued in the direction they assumed the enemy to live. Every night Lassa returned to the king in his sleep to guide them and let them know the way and only four days later they reached the black citadel city that Leon had told his father about.
The next day they engaged the enemy but of the heroic deeds of the battles in these early days no accounts have survived or at least, none that we know of. We know that after a long and fierce battle the Cantunese force finally prevailed, only Darganta himself was still fighting, believing that no man could kill him he slew hundreds of soldiers until Cantus himself faced him in battle. It was a fierce duel but in the end Cantus’ sword Neril found an opening in the black armor and pierced the skin of the dark Lord who fell, under the magic spell of Lassa.
https://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8412/cc36t.jpg
The cavalry charging in, led by the king's friend and advisor Galan Undine
https://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6272/brom119.jpg
The swordfight of Cantus and Darganta
The rest of the dark forces had retreated and after the defeat of their Lord they surrendered to the host of Cantus. It was decided that they should be spared but not allowed to live there anymore. Their leader, the right hand of Darganta, Lord Vayne, suggested they would be sent to an alternate dimension, they called it “the void”, from where they originally had come, as, so they said, they were only able to reproduce and rebuild their people there. Thinking of Lassa’s words, Cantus did not want to upset their dark gods any more than necessary and agreed, using the sword of Darganta, the only tool that could open a gateway to the void, to send them back.
As they entered the real of the void though, Cantus realized that he had, like his son, been betrayed by these evil people and they tried to move a large host of their creatures back through the Gate, led by Vayne. He was the first to step through and in that moment Cantus realized their betrayal and attacked Vayne, wounding him deeply across his chest before being slain by Vayne himself who was struggling to keep the gate open. It was then that Birun, who had snuck onto one of the ships, disguised as one of the wizards who accompanied the army, stormed forward, tears of anger and grief in her eyes, after losing her brother and father to these enemies, weaving a spell that wrestled Darganta’s sword from Vayne and pushed him and his host back into the void.
https://img864.imageshack.us/img864/6402/fm08zzgeurgn.jpg
Birun closing the gate
The gate closed but at what price? Birun had exhausted herself and without the will to go on, she could not recover and so, arm in arm, both father and daughter died that day, saving their people, who were now without a leader. No one knew of the fate of Leon and so it had to be assumed that he died, defending the outpost of Birun.
In the aftermath of the battle it was decided that Galan Undine, Cantus’ closest and most trusted advisor, should become king, as the old king had no other heir to take the throne. Galan knew of everything that Cantus had known, so he honored Lassa for the help she had given them, against the council of the other gods. He decided that the kingdom of Cantun was no longer and there should be a new one, named Lassara with a capitol built right there, at the site of their most tragic hour, as a sign of the power and will to overcome, that was in all men. The island of Cantun was to be part of the realm, reigned by a nephew of Cantus who did not want to leave the islands but agreed to set the house of his uncle up as governors of Cantun, subject to the kingdom of Lassara which was to be reigned by the House of Undine for all time, should the gods so will.
https://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5936/nasmith16.jpg
The capital, Lassara
https://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3549/nasmith18.jpg
A glimpse into the streets of Lassara
The sword Neril was deliberately broken and shards of it have been forged into seven weapons to disperse the vast divine power that was sealed within the blade. They were given to the greatest heroes of the realm, to be used as weapons to defend Lassara but six of them have since been lost and only one of them remains in the hands of the kings of Lassara. The sword of Darganta could not be destroyed, not by physical or magical means and so it was sealed in a chamber beneath the castle of Lassara’s capitol to never be used again. It is guarded by a special corps as it is rumored that the hosts of the void would still answer to the sword, should they be called.
In the following centuries the realm was strengthened and expanded. Soon the rebuilt town of Birun and the newly founded town of Leon were thriving and the kingdom expanded further. Right now, eight hundred and seventy years after the founding of Lassara, the realm reaches south to Epayl Nir, the spear point of the south, eastward to the peninsula of Avin and west unto the great western mountains, the Ayal Royad hyo. The southern peninsula was colonized along the shores as the southern desert, Mayandar nir, was almost impassable and so settlements were only built on the shore and on the islands of Quin and Ai. Later a group of settlers followed a river north of Quin and founded Yonal in the southern reaches of the western mountains. Beyond these lay Ayal Mayn hyo, the great western sands. Nomads live there and over the years past they sometimes have raided the countryside west of Leon, so the two watchtowers of Null and Varim were built, to safeguard the western borders of the kingdom. They have since been almost deserted as relatively stable peace with the nomads has been reached about two hundred years ago. They didn’t like Lassara nor did most Lassarans like them but goods from the kingdom were needed in the west and vice versa, so a lasting trade relationship has evolved between both people, replacing the wars of their early encounters. Still all trade goes through Null and Varim and the garrisons are ever watchful to what happens in the great sands. Tarania, the northern realm, is a hostile land, not because of civilizations living there but because of the harsh weather and dangerous animals. None of the two usually crosses the northern mountains, guarding the kingdom's northern borders, so the Lassarans are happy, not knowing much about these lands.
Through all this time the House of Undine has prevailed and a descendant of Galan was always ruling in Lassara. Until now… The old king, Ramin Undinde II has died in a hunting accident without leaving an heir of age, only his daughter was left behind but she was only six years old when her father left the realm of the living. The laws stated that she could rule from the day of her sixteenth birthday, until then, three consuls were to rule the kingdom as stewards. This day is today but the expected coronation of Queen Amalia Undine I was not going to happen the way everyone expected…
Lassara's Religions:
The Old Gods:
This is the belief in the old gods, the gods Cantus and his followers already believed in when they set foot onto Cantun. They do not know much about their history before their journey to these lands but they have remembered all about their gods. It is by far the most common religion in Lassara.
Pantheon of the Old Gods:
Astaron: He is the head god of the old Lassaran faith. The founder and father of the people they originate from and he is the mightiest among the Lassaran gods. The Lassarans do not believe that their gods are the only gods that exist, neither do they believe that their god, Astaron, has created the world or other gods. He married Lassa and convinced her siblings, Bylaeid and Cayhalla, to join him in protecting his people, the people that Cantus and his followers came from. Over the while more divine beings joined them or were born into their ranks, making up the whole pantheon of the old faith. Astaron himself has power over the winds and air, over the creatures of the heavens and over the minds of men. He is a mighty warrior, his most common avatar being in the form of a knight, carrying a lance and a longbow, riding a winged horse. Astaron is also the god of night and darkness. His center of worship lies, together with his wife Lassa, in the royal temple district of the capital but both are worshipped throghout the country.
Lassa: Though not the head of the Lassaran pantheon, Lassa is the most beloved godess of her people because she was the one to appear in Cantus' visions, revealing to him the way to defeat the army of the void and enchanting his blade Neril to accomplish this deed. She is a loyal wife to Astaron, ever supporting of her husband, only once has she acted against his council, when she aided Cantus in those fateful times. Lassa is the goddess of light, song and beauty. Of all the gods she is most prayed to because she is said to listen to the prayers of men more than the other gods. Her most common appearance among men is that of a fair lady, clothed in a shining, white robe, not bearing any weapons. In addition to the temple district of the capital there is a huge temple, solely dedicated to Lassa, in Tar Cantun.
Bylaeid: Lassa's older brother and, after her, the first to join Astaron. He is the Lassaran god of water and the sea and all marine creatures. It is said that the old people of which the Lassarans originate were great seafarers and Bylaeid was one of their most important and worshipped gods but in Lassara seafaring is not such an important part of life and thus the importance of Bylaeid is somewhat diminished. He usually appears as a tall, muscular man, clothed in rough leather, armed with a giant battle axe and he is rumoured to roam the seas on his mighty ship Vanrim. The center for worship of Bylaeid is Avin, as well as the islands of Quin and Ai.
Cayhalla: Cayhalla is the younger sister of Lassa, a wild and ferocious character. She is also playful and loves a good challenge, showing that when not immediately agreeing to join Astaron but letting him take a few tests to prove his power, one of these tests being the defeat of another divine being in battle, a suitor Cayhalla wanted to get rid of. She is the goddess of war, the hunt and all land based creatures, appearing as a woman in chainmail and a red cloak, bearing a spear and two sabres. Cayhalla is worshipped mainly in the southern parts of Lassara, with a great temple in Epayl Nir.
Sylka: Sylka is the wife of Bylaeid, married to him before they ever met Astaron and she joined him together with her husband. She is the Lassaran goddess of fertility and all growing things, bestowing her blessing onto the farming population of the country, being mostly worshipped in the rural and agricultural areas. A large temple in Leon is dedicated to her. She usually appears as a young woman, dressed in green garments and carrying a long, wooden staff.
Lot'al: The Lassaran god of magic, wisdom and study. Like his brother he is interested in the arcane but his temper is much more stable and he is more interested in the controlled use of arcane powers than in the destructive unleashment of raw energy his brother seems to be so fond of. He has married Cayhalla and thereby joined Astaron whom he has come to respect greatly and his temper has made him a perfect counterweight for his wife. He is worshipped mainly in the royal temple district of the capital but there is also a large temple, dedicated to him, in the city of Anaba. Usually he appears in colourful robes, as a rather old man, bearing a scepter.
Faarik: He has joined Astaron after his brother Lot'al was married to Cayhalla. Being a natural wizard and cunning deceiver he has become the god of witchcraft and trickery. His love for the Lassaran people is limited and these feelings are mutual. Only some sects worship Faarik and he has no large temple or cult areas. He appears as whatever he feels like, not having a common form, although lately, over the course of the last two- to three-hundred years, he hasn't appeared much at all.
These are the seven head gods of the Lassaran old faith. There are several lesser divine beings associated with Astaron's pantheon as well, some regional, some attached to certain aspects of life. Gods are immortal, which means that they do not age or die of sickness or anything else, they can, however, apparently be slain, because Astaron himself is said to have slain a divine suitor of Cayhalla as part of her tests. It is of course very difficult to slay a god and in fact this occurence during Cayhalla's trials for Astaron is the only known death of a god.
The Lassarans know very little about the time when Astaron first approached their people because an important element of the old faith is that knowledge of the time before Cantus set his foot onto the island now known as Cantun should not be pursued.
The Lassarans have no god for the underworld or the dead because they believe that all dead souls will be judged before Astaron and, if they are worthy, they will enter his realm where they will live eternally in joy and peace. Those that aren't worthy are not spoken of and most religious leaders assume that they simply cease to exist.
I know it's much but I really encourage everyone who wants to participate to read the history as it's going to be important background for our game.
How are we gonna do this? (Rules)
The World of Lassara
There is a ruling class, the king's House of Undine and the nobility. A big majority of people in the kingdom are in the upper or lower middle class. They are living in relative wealth although they aren't of noble birth. There is the lower classes as well, they aren't as numerous in most places but Lassara is no Utopia it has poor people, bandits, rogues and a list of other problems as well
The currency is simple, there are coins made of gold, silver and copper with decreasing value. You don't have to go into great detail and exaclty list how much gold your character has, but describing how poor/rich they are and if they have regular access to gold is a very good thing
The military of Lassara might not have to fight big battles or win great wars, as the country lives mostly in peace but even in a kingdom like Lassara there are bandits, pirates and other brigands to fight and the military also has the duty to man the garrisons of the western watchtowers and guard the mountain passes into Tarania. This is probably where most fighting happens, especially during the winter months, when freezing temperatures and lack of food drives hordes of hostile creatures into the south. Their history has also taught the Lassarans to remain vigilant and ready for anything, so their military is very well trained and equipped although a lack of real combat experience might still be a disadvantage in a full blown war, at least for part of the army. There are women serving in the army.
There are elven tribes that have been found recently in the southern woods, by the settlers of Yonal. They are peaceful and technically there has been an alliance established with the kingdom of Lassara but encounters between men and elves are rare.
Technologywise this world is at a similar stage as classical fantasy settings like LotR. You can be creative with armor and weapons. Magic can be a good substitute for technolocigal parts and again, be reasonable and know that this is about working things into the story, not "powergaming", which is not possible anyway, since items and equipment don't have "stats"
Characters
Everyone who wants to participate: simply state it in this thread. Then create a character and post it here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?136202-Lassara-Shards-of-Neril-Characters-Backgrounds-and-Information&p=2053328258#post2053328258).
Create a character for yourself. I will start the cahracter thread with a character of my own, so you can follow that example but you can even add more detail if you want to.
Once player character per person, you can create NPCs though, for example if you need them for your character arc or something else...
Your character can be of any race or creature imaginable, you can use creatures already known in the realm. There could be other civilized creatures inside the kingdom of Lassara that have only been discovered in those years that I didn't really go into in the backstory. Or you can have a character coming from a place outside the game map.
You can create any "class" you can imagine. We will try to keep it fair, so don't shun away from characters that seem weak if it fits what you wanna do, this is more about story than overpowering others.
I have the final say on characters, I might ask you to change things to keep 'em a bit balanced, please ask if anything is unclear
If you have any questions regarding character creation, please just contact me via PM. If you can't find a picture, AFTER TRYING ;) - you can ask me, I might find something you like
Playing
We will play by simply posting what our characters do, say, sometimes what they think, etc. You are completely free what you want to do but of course it would make sense to join in on the main story, otherwise I'd recommend just writing a book ;)
Posts in past tense and third person please
There is no posting order but be reasonable. If someone is in a conversation with another char and you are in the same group, it doesn't really make sense to post how the group packs up and leaves... Unless your character tells the two ingame to stop chatting and get going :P
It is allowed to "plan" certain things with other players via PM or other means, to post larger dialogues at once or things like that. Sometimes it makes sense but don't do it with everything. Surprise us
I have the final say on posts so if something just doesn't fit I may ask you to remove it. This may never happen and if it does I expect it to be very rare. If you want to do something that seems rather "stretching" you can always contact me beforehand
Battles
You can initiate or engage in a fight with NPCs anytime you want, depicting the battle any way you want, although sometimes you'll have to pay attention to what the others are doing. Also, try to be reasonable. Posting how your character kills an army of five thousand single handedly might make it hard to balance him and I might ask you to remove that post after you pot so much work into it, which is not favorable
Don't hurt or kill NPCs that are created by other players and have their own entry in the characters thread. Cannonfodder can be destroyed at will even if "created" by others.
PvP
You can engage another character in battle anytime you want, whenever that happens the game will switch to "turns" and all characters involved will post in a order I will set from battle to battle.
Every character involved will post three times depicting his moves and reactions, after that all involved characters will discuss in the OOC thread and try to reach a conclusion that they all can agree upon.
If no consensus can be found, I will decide who has the upper hand and how strong the advantage is
After that (no matter if the players agreed on who has the upper hand or if I have to decide it) I will do a biased random roll, to determine the winner, favoring the one in advatnage of course.
After that the results have to be worked into the story, it will be discussed beforehand if it is possible for a player character to be killed during that battle
This sounds more complicated than it is, let's get to the first PvP battle and you'll see ;)
All these rules are subject to change at any given time. If during the course of the game an issure comes up where you don't agree with the rules and it has support from the majority of players I have no problem tweaking them to what is wished.
After all, this is about having fun and creating a story together. I will work as a GM, steering the story a bit, which means of course I have a story in mind but it could be completely altered and changed by your actions and choices.
This is not completely finished, there is still a bunch of stuff I need to prepare before we can start, but I wanted to make it possible to sign up and create characters as it probably takes some time for you to create and think about your chars.
If anyone can't join right now, with this kind of games it's fairly easy to jon in later, so don't worry.
Again, if there are any questions, just ask, here or via PM. I won't bite ;)
Also, please be forgiving about language, as English is not my primary language and I am rather sick right now ^^